I pulled my jacket closer as I stepped out of the cab and looked up at the glass building that stretched into the sky. Stone Enterprise. I had heard of it, seen pictures online, but standing here in front of it was something else entirely. The polished glass reflected the California sun, and the sliding doors opened every few seconds as employees streamed in, most of them moving with quick, precise steps.
I adjusted the strap of my bag and took a breath before walking forward. The sound of car horns echoed faintly from the street behind me, blending with the chatter of people passing on the sidewalk. I had never been here before. Elena had spoken about her job, but she never went into much detail about the building itself.
Inside, the air was cooler. The lobby was wide, with white marble floors that gleamed under the lights. A fountain rested near the far wall, its steady trickle competing with the sounds of heels clicking and phones ringing. People moved everywhere, some speaking quickly into headsets, others carrying folders as they hurried toward the elevators.
I found the reception desk at the center of the lobby. The receptionist, a woman with her hair pinned into a neat bun, looked up as I approached.
"Good morning, how may I help you?" she asked, her voice professional but warm.
"I'm here to see Elena," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "Elena—my sister."
She tapped quickly on her keyboard, eyes flicking over her monitor. "And your name, please?"
"Vanessa."
The receptionist picked up the phone, murmured something into it, then hung up. "Please have a seat in the waiting room." She gestured to a glass door to the side.
The waiting room was quiet, designed more like a lounge. Soft chairs, a low table with neatly stacked magazines, and a muted TV fixed on a news channel. I sat down, trying not to look as out of place as I felt. The faint hum of the building pressed around me—elevators chiming outside, hurried footsteps echoing down the hall, the occasional burst of laughter from passing employees.
Minutes later, two men in dark suits appeared at the door. Security. One of them gave me a polite nod. "Miss Vanessa? Please wait here. We've sent someone to bring your sister down."
I smiled faintly, though my palms had grown damp. "Thank you."
The men stayed near the door, silent, watchful.
I leaned back, pretending to look at the TV but my eyes drifted instead. Through the glass, I caught a glimpse of someone walking across the lobby. Tall, confident stride, sharp suit. For a moment, I almost forgot to breathe. He looked like someone who belonged here, someone who owned the space he walked in.
He didn't see me. His expression was unreadable as he moved past, speaking to another man beside him. But there was something about him—his posture, the way people turned slightly as he passed—that made it hard to look away.
"Who's that?" I murmured to myself, but the words barely left my lips.
Before I could think longer on it, the door opened again. Elena stepped in, escorted by one of the security men. She looked surprised, her brows lifting as her eyes landed on me.
"Vanessa?"
I stood quickly, my chest tightening. "Surprise."
Her lips parted, then curved into a small smile. She crossed the room in quick steps, wrapping her arms around me. I hugged her back, breathing her in, realizing how much I had missed her presence.
"What are you doing here?" she asked softly when she pulled back, searching my face.
I shrugged, trying to keep it light. "Thought it was time I visited. California isn't that far, after all."
She shook her head, half amused, half worried. "You should have told me. I would have prepared."
"And ruin the surprise?" I grinned.
Behind her, the security men exchanged a look, then quietly stepped out, leaving us in the waiting room alone.
I sat back down with her, and for a moment, we were silent. I glanced once more toward the glass where the man in the sharp suit had disappeared minutes before. His image lingered in my mind.
Elena followed my gaze, then frowned slightly. "What?"
"That guy," I said. "The one who walked past earlier. Tall, dark hair, confident… who is he?"
Her expression stiffened almost instantly. "Why?"
"He looked… well, he looked like someone important." I leaned in, lowering my voice. "And honestly, hot as hell."
"Important?" Vanessa leaned forward, curiosity sharpening. "Important how?"
"An executive here. Part of the Stone family."
Vanessa's smile deepened, mischief flickering in her eyes. "Ah. That explains the aura." She tilted her head, studying Elena. "And you work here, in his orbit?"
Elena's pulse quickened. "Don't start."
Vanessa laughed softly, leaning back again. But her eyes lingered, thoughtful now, as though she were piecing something together.
The lounge filled again with background sound: a phone call half overheard—"Yes, the meeting is rescheduled at three"—the faint hiss of the coffee machine, the muted ring of an elevator chime. Life moved steadily around them, but the sisters' reunion felt sealed in its own space.
They spoke of smaller things then. Memories of home. A cousin's wedding Vanessa had attended alone. Their mother's new business venture, shaky but determined.
Elena listened, a lump forming in her throat. Two years gone, and so much she had missed.
Vanessa, though, kept circling back, her questions slipping in between stories. About Elena's life here. About her coworkers. About the people she saw daily. And each time, Cory's image flashed in her eyes, unspoken but clear.
Her eyes widened, and she pressed her lips together. "Vanessa…"
"What? I was just asking." I chuckled softly, though curiosity was still burning in me. Whoever he was, he seemed to matter here.
Elena didn't answer right away. Instead, she glanced toward the door, as if checking to make sure no one was listening, then back at me.
"You'll meet him soon enough," she said finally. Her tone was calm, but I caught the way her hand tightened around her bag strap.
Something in me stirred at that. A strange mix of excitement and suspicion. I didn't press her. Not yet.
But I couldn't shake the image of that man from my mind.